Automatic valve for gaseous burners



, April 1 1924.

A. F. FRENTSOS AUTOMATIC VALVE FOR GAS EOUS BURNERS Filed July 28 1923gwucnlot 7f Treats as Patented Apr. 1, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE.

ATHAN F. FRENTSOS, OF DELAWARE, OHIO.

AUTOMATIC VALVE FOR GASEOUS BURNERS.

To all whom it may n0em:.

Be it known that I, ATHAN F. F mnvrsos, a citizen of the United States,residing at Delaware, in the county of Delaware and State of Ohio, haveinvented new and-useful Improvements in Automatic Valves for GaseousBurners, of which'the following is a specification. a

This invention relates to valve devices used in conjunction with stoveshaving gaseous or liquid fuel burners, and has for its vobject the.provision of a novel control valve for automatically turning 011 thefuel supply when a .utensil or the like is placed over the burner, thearrangement being such that a small pilot light will remain burning eventhough the utensil be removed.

It is well known that in many places, such as short-order lunch rooms,restaurants, cafes, hotel kitchens, and the like, it is highly desirablethat a stove be ready for instant use without it being necessary for thecook or chef to search for a match or other igniter to effect lighting.It is also apparent that to leave the burner or burners going at alltimes would involve a needless waste of fuel. It is with these facts inview that I have designed the present control device which automaticallyturns on the fuel to its maximum extent when the use of the stove isdesired but which cuts down the flame to the minimum degree when thestove is idle.

Another object is the provision of an automatic valve of this characterwhich may be used in conjunction with or built to form a part of theusual control cock, such ordinary cock being provided for the purpose ofcutting off the flow entirely when such is desired. v I

An additional object is the provision of a device of this characterwhich will be simple and inexpensive in manufacture, easy to install inalready existing stoves, positive in action, efficient and durable inservice, and a general improvement in the art.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the inventionconsists in the combination and arrangement of the several parts to behereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1. is a top plan view of a stove equipped with my device.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section therethrough showing a side elevationof my attachment.

Figure 3 is a detail section on the line 33 of Figure 2. 1

Figure at is a detail longitudinal section through the valve structurealone.

7 Referring more particularly to the drawings, the letter A designates agas stove of the single burner type, the particular variety being whatis commonly called a hot plate. This-stove includes the usual framesupported at its corners upon legs B and provided with any suitablemeans for supporting the grid or utensil support C beneath which ismounted the burner 1). Ordinarily the burner is of a ring-likeformation, as shown, and leading thereto is a fuel conduit E whichextends from a mixing device F where air is mixed with the gaseous orvaporized fuel, depending upon whether the stove be of the gas,gasoline, or vaporized oil type. In connection with such stoves it is acommon practice to provide a cut-ofi cock G having a nipple H forattachment of the usual flexible hose thereto.

formed with opposite extensions 11 and 12,

the former of which is externally threaded for screwing engagementwithin the mixer and the latter of which is formed with a threadedrecess 13 for receiving the threaded end of the cock. G for making thenecessary connection. This valve body further includes a dependingextension 1 formed with a bore 15 which intersects a passage 16 in thehead, which passage is designed to establish communication between thecut-off cock and the mixer. The lower end of the extension 14 iscounter-bored, as shown at 17, and is externally threaded for engagementthereon of a cap 18 formed with a'central hole 19. Slidably mountedwithin the bore is a stem formed intermediate its ends with a peripheralflange 21 located within the counter-bore 17 and bearing against thelower end of a coil spring 22 which bears against the shoulder 23 formed'at the juncture of the bore 15 with the counter-bore 17. The normalposition of this valve'stem 20 is such that its upper extremity isslightly below the uppermost point of the passage 16 so that a verysmall flow of gas or vapor through this passage is permitted. At a pointspaced from its upper extremity, the stem 20 is cut away, as shown at24:, so that when the stem is moved upwardly this cut-away portion willregister with the endportions of the passage 16 and permit anunobstructed flow of fuel therethrough.

In connection with this valve I provide operating means which includesor consists of an angularly shaped lever 25 which is pivotedintermediate its ends upon a screw 26 which passes through a pair ofmating clamps 27 engaged upon the conduit E at its juncture withthemixer F, these clamps be ing held together at their other ends by abolt, screw or other equivalent fastening device 28. In the presentinstance I have shown the lever 25 as looped or bent to define an eyethrough which the bolt 26 passes though it should be understood thatsuch a construction is not necessary as the lever might be formed andpivoted in a different manner. This lever includes an upstanding orvertical portion 29 which extends through the center of the ring-likeburner D and which terminates in a head 30 located above the top of thegrid 0 so as to be engaged and depressed by any kettle or other utensilplaced upon the stove. The other end of the lever is formed with anupturned extension 31 which abuts against the lower end of the stem 20.

It is to be noted that the cap 18 is screwed onto the body 14 and thatby adjusting this cap the closed position of the control valve or stemmay be varied for regulating the pilot flow of fuel through the valvedevice, it being obvious that by unscrewing this cap, the stem will bepermitted to move downwardly into less obstructing relation to thepassage 16 so that a greater flow may be had.

In the operation it will be seen that if the cock G be open, the normalposition of the valve is as shown in Figure 1, the stem 20 being in itslowermost position maintained by the action of the spring 22. A veryslight amount of fuel will flow through the passage 16 so that a pilotlight will be provided at the burner, rendering the burner ready forinstant use. lVhen any utensil is placed upon the stove, engagementthere of against the head 30 will rock the lever 25 upon its pivot bolt26 so that the upturned extension 31 abutting against the valve stem 20will raise the latter so as to bring the cut-away portion 2 1 inalinement with the passage 16 so that the full flow, or as full a flowas is permitted by the position of the cock G, will be supplied to theburner.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawings, it will beapparent that I have thus provided a simple, inexpensive and easilyinstalled valve for gas or vapor stoves which will be absolutelyautomatic in operation and which will keep the stove ready for instantuse without involving an extravagant and wasteful consumption of fuel.

Another feature of advantage to be observed is that the valve ofthepresent device acts as a mixer or fuel jet. In many stoves, especiallythat type utilizing oil, gasoline, or other liquid fuel, it is customaryand necessary to provide a species of mixer or jet like device which isinterposed between the cut off and the air mixer. It is well known thatsuch devicesinvolve considerable expense in their manufacture andinstallation. lVith the present valve it is to be observed that theoutlet hole is very small so that it really acts as an expanding jet forthe fuel which will permit elimination of the jet or mixer deviceordinarily provided and this naturally operates to cut down the cost ofproduction of the stove.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of theinvention it is of course to be understood that I reserve the right tomake such changes in the form, construction and arrangement of parts aswill not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of thesubjoined claim.

I claim:

In a stove having a gaseous fuel burner, utensil operated means forcontrolling flow of fuel to the burner, including a pivoted lever havingone end positioned to be engaged by a utensil placed upon the burner,and a valve comprising a T-shaped body member formed with a passageextending through two opposite branches of the body and having onebranch connected with the burner and the other branch adapted forconnection with a cut off valve in the supply conduit, said body havingits remaining branch formed with a bore intersecting said passage andextending beyond both sides thereof, the last named branch having acounterbore leading into said bore, accap detachablyengaged upon saidlast named branch,a stem slidable within said bore and formed with anoutstanding flange operating within the counterbore, the stem beingslidable through the cap and projecting outwardly therebeyond and inengagement with said lever, a spring within said counterbore engagingsaid flange and the shoulder defined by the juncture of the bore andcounterbore for normally holding the stem at the out- Ward limit of itsmovement with its inner 5 end substantially obstructing communicationthrough said passage, the stem having a cut away portion adapted toregister with the passage upon depression of the lever, the cap beingscrewed in place and adjustable for varying the normal closed positionof the stem to regulate the pilot flow of fuel.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ATHAN F. FRENTSOS.

